D&D Avengers: Hawkeye

Hawkeye....Hawkeye. Honestly, he is the exact same as the Artemis from Young Justice. He is a great with a bow and other ranged weapons while also being a strong and capable athlete. A dexterity focused Battlefield Master Fighter makes the most sense, especially with the Clever Quiver I created for my first lady of snarky crime-fighting. However, unlike sweet Artemis, Clint is going to have the Folk Hero background to reflect his farm self.

But this is supposed to be my homebrew post. I should be creating something, not just resting on my, well not laurels, but previous work at least. So I think, what I'll do is...I can't think of what to do. Should I make a Monk archetype that focuses on ranged weapons? That would make some sense. He is basically the heart of the avengers, the everyman, so I fear monk would make him too magical. A bard? Since he helps out others? Or maybe a new feat? Yeah, maybe that's it.

Hawkeyed
You have a high perception and can see things others would never expect.

• You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
• You can use the Help action to give an ally that can hear you advantage against a target within 60 feet instead of 5 feet.

This might be a little underpowered, but few other feats provide advantage for such a common check. If you want to increase the power, give it a +1 to Wisdom. 

Alright, lets make this dude. 

Clint Barton

Level 1 Variant Human Fighter

Background: Folk Hero

Str 14 (+2), Dex 16 (+3), Con 13 (+1)

Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 10 (+0)

HP 11, AC 14, HD 1d10

Saves: Str +4, Con +3

Speed: 30 feet

Languages: Common, Halfling

Proficiencies: Woodcarver's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Skills: Animal Handling +3, Athletics +4, Perception +3, Survival +3

Longbow +7, 1d8+3 piercing, 150/600 range, heavy, two-handed, loading

Hand Crossbow +7, 1d6+3 piercing, 30/120 range, light, loading

Dagger +5 (+7 if thrown), 1d4 +3 piercing, 20/60 range, finesse, light

Longsword +4, 1d8+2 slashing, versatile 1d10

Feat: Hawk-eyed

Fighting Style: Archery

Second Wind 1/rest

Gear: Woodcarver's tools, a shovel, an iron pot, common clothes, leather armor, a longbow and 20 arrows, a hand crossbow and 20 bolts, a longsword, two daggers, and an explorer's pack. 

Leveling Clint:

The bad thing about the Hawkeyed feat is that he has to wait for level 4 to grab Sharpshooter, but I think the two effect each other well. You might also grab Crossbow Expert for the other ranged weapon benefits. Otherwise spend your Ability Score Improvements actually improving your ability scores. Make sure you grab the Battle Master archetype for all the fun trick shots and see if your DM will give you that Clever Quiver I made for Artemis. Even if you don't have that, this should be a fun character. 

D&D Avengers: Captain America

He's beauty and he's grace; he'll punch Hitler in his face; he's.....Captain America!

Most people's favorite of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by the wonderfully handsome Chris Evans, Captain America is the champion of our hearts. He is everything America is supposed to be, truly standing for freedom, justice, mercy, and biceps.

So how does Captain America stack up as a D&D character? How would you make one that fits the shield throwing hero of the 40's? Well, I'm pretty sure he is a fighter, and a battlemaster fighter at that. He can inspire, and he can do some cool maneuvers, so I think that fits best. Background? Soldier. Duh. And we'll make a new magic item for the vibranium shield.

Ricochet Shield
Shield, uncommon; +1, rare; +2 very rare (requires attunement)
This round shield is made of a light metal alloy which looks simple, though it is anything but. The shield can be wielded as a weapon that deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage on a hit. The shield can also be removed and thrown with a range of 30 feet as an Attack action, returning to the owners hand after the attack is resolved. The shield can be reequipped after being thrown as a bonus action. If the user receives more than one attack, each subsequent attack, when throwing the shield, gains a 30 foot range from its last target. If the shield has an enchantment bonus, it applies it to the attack and damage as well as to armor class.
     In addition to its weapon properties, a ricochet shield can be activated as an immediate action to receiving bludgeoning, thunder, or force damage to negate all damage from that attack. This ability can be used again after a short or long rest.

This seems cool. The vibranium collects powerful energies sound (thunder), bludgeoning, and other force. It also can be thrown and return, which is necessary for our Cap to be iconic.

I feel like Cap also needs a feat, but I can't decide between making his fists effective weapons with Tavern Brawler or making him a Shield Master. The Shield Master seems obvious, based on the name, but its more for the pusher than the acrobat. Now lets build him.

Steven "Steve" Rogers
Level 1 Variant Human Fighter
Background: Soldier
Str 16 (+3), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2)
Int 10 (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 10 (+0)
HP 12, AC 18, HD 1d10
Saves: Str +5, Dex +4, Con +4
Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common, Elvish
Proficiencies: Gaming Set (Playing Cards), Vehicles (Land)
Skills: Acrobatics +4, Athletics +5, Insight +2, Intimidation +2, Persuasion +2

Ricochet Shield +5, 1d6+3 bludgeoning, 30 feet
Hand Crossbow +4, 1d5 +2 piercing, 30/120 feet, loading

Feat: Shield Master
Fighting Style: Protection
Second Wind

Gear: Army insignia, a lost friend's insignia, a deck of cards, a set of common clothes, chain mail, ricochet shield, hand crossbow, 20 bolts, explorer's pack

Leveling Steve
Steve should throw his ability score bonuses into Str, Con, and Dex. I can also see him doing some Charisma. If you go for feats, go for ones that increase his potency with his shield like Savage Attacker, or set him up above others like Athlete. Take the Battle Master archetype and grab some fun tricks to use with the shield like Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike, Maneuvering Attack, and Trip Attack. You could also throw in Commander's Strike and Rally if you want to go for the leader of the Avenger's feel in mechanics. 

BiFrost: Auras

I had an idea.
I was thinking that the world lacked internal consistency.
Where did the powers for the spells and the class abilities come from? The Hero's health for the second wind and action surge, the Prowlers speed for the cunning action? Those who've never been through a BiFrost do not have a class. So what gives those who have their power?

The BiFrost that makes them delvers gives them that power. It infuses them. And when they use their powers, a bit of its power shows itself. Earlier I talked about spell effects and now I'm going to update them. I decided each subclass shouldn't get its own spell effect though, that might muddy it. But perhaps each spell gets its own flavor as its already described in the PHB.

Brawler - Glowing fists
Dynamo - Heat waves of energy off the body
Hero - Glowing eyes and blood
Hunter - Animal spirit overlay, tusks, snout, fur, feathers, etc.
Incarnate - A halo around head and wrists
Juggernaut -  Fissures of light across skin
Knight - Small and vague spectral wings of light
Mage - Glyphs and circles appear almost tatoo-like on the skin
Naturalist - Spectral plants appear
Performer - Spectral mask
Prowler - Light from soles and palms.
Witch - Spectral horns

The effects only show up when casting a spell or using a feature (cunning action, ki power, action surge, casting a spell, rage, etc.) It doesn't work come out for always ones like weapon style or the extra damage on a monks unarmed attacks.

Visual effects can be suppressed if you also concentrate? That makes it too easy for fighter types, though does mean raging barbarians can't hide it, which I like.

D&D Avengers: Thor Odinson

Do you hear the rumble? Do you hear the shake? The quake of the oncoming storm?

That's right, if you couldn't tell from the title, today we'll be making the D&D version of Marvel's Thor! Now, there is going to be some contention here between original Thor story of man imbued with awesome power, and Marvel Universe Thor who is super strong already and just gets like a kick-ass hammer. The first is very obviously a Tempest Cleric while the later is either a Paladin with a new Oath or a Fighter with an artifact. Because this is homebrew day I'm going to make an Oath of Storm Paladin. I mean, Thor has got to be worthy, doesn't he?

Oath of Storm

The Oath of Storm binds a paladin to specific ideals of worthiness. The oath of storm requires a paladin to be strong in character and to be stalwart fighter in the face of danger. The oath of storm grants powerful abilities over weather and nature to those who are worth its might. Paladins of this oath do not hold them self to high conduct, but are usually loud and boisterous. They do, however, hold themselves to always be good and do what is best for their community before themselves. Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of righteous war, competition, and strength. As such, paladins of storm often add motifs of mountains, weapons, rivers, glaciers, and of course clouds and lightning as motifs in their armor. 

Tenets of Storm 

Though the exact words of the oaths vary, all who take the Oath of Storm must hold to these tenets. 

Sincerity. Do not lie to those you care about. 

Joy. Life is a gift, enjoy it. Spread that joy to those around you.  

Generosity. Give freely of your riches, even when you have little. 

Bravery. Do not hesitate to face difficult challenges. 

Strength. Be resolute in your decisions. 

Oath Spells

3rd     thunderous smite, thunderwave

5th     magic weapon, gust of wind

9th     fly, call lightning

13th  control water, ice storm

17th  destructive smite, commune

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain he following two Channel Divinity options. 

    Thunderhead. You can use your Channel Divinity to invoke the storms to strike your enemy. As an action, you can cause a 10 foot radius cloud to appear within 60 feet. The cloud produces a gentle rain and, as a bonus action, can shoot lightning requiring one target of your choice beneath the cloud to make a Dexterity save or take 1d6 lightning damage. This thunderhead lasts until it produces lightning a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), or after 1 minute. 

    Cow the Weak. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring those who are weaker than you. Any creature within 30 feet whose current hit points are less than yours must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes damage. 

Stormwalker's Endurance

Beginning at 7th level, the power of storms have made you durable enough to withstand their punishment. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, lightning, and thunder damage. 

   At 18th level, you gain resistance to all damage. 

Lightning Lash

At 15th level, you can cast a 3rd level lightning bolt without expending a spell slot. You may use this ability again after you finish a long or short rest.
    In addition, strong winds have no effect on you. 

Thundering Champion

At 20th level, as an action you become master of storms. For 1 minute a storm surrounds you in a 30 foot radius and you gain a fly speed of 60 feet. This storm provides total concealment for you and  your allies in the storm. 

     Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the storm, the creature takes 10 lightning damage. 

I don't feel like making an Asgardian race since they really aren't that special, so he'll just be a human. Finally the background should be noble, he is the son of Odin after all.

Now that that's done, lets make us a Level 1 Thor Odinson.

Thor Odinson
Human Paladin 1
Background: Noble
Str 16 (+3), Dex 12 (+1), Con 14 (+2)
Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)

HP 12, AC 16, HD 1d10
Saves: Wis +3, Cha +4
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Elvish
Skills: Athletics +5, History +2, Insight +3, Persuasion +4

Warhammer (Mjolnir) +5, 1d8+3 bludgeoning, versatile 1d10+3
Battleaxe (Jarnbjorn) +5, 1d8+3 slashing, versatile 1d10+3
Javelin (x5) +5, 1d6+3 piercing, range 30/120

Divine Sense 3/day
Lay on Hands

Gear: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, a warhammer, a battleaxe, five javelins, an explorer's pack, chain mail, a piece of frozen lightning (holy symbol)

Leveling Thor
As Thor levels up, grab dueling fighting style and then the Oath of the Storm I made earlier. Thor should choose spells that grant him increased power. You can easily fluff his smites as electric looking.
    Ability Score Improvements can be used for warcaster and other such feats, and should also definitely be used to up Strength and Charisma. 

D&D Avengers: Black Widow

Alright, so it has been some time since I last worked on these. I'm still not very happy with what I did for the Hulk and will likely revisit him. But in the mean time, I'm going to move forward to our next hero to show up in the Marvel cinematic universe: Natasha Romanoff the Black Widow.

Natasha is a cunning woman with amazing skills of subterfuge. She is an agile combatant and a master of manipulation. Without a doubt, she is an Assassin Rogue. There really isn't much to do there. She likely has the Martial Artist feat I made for Dick Grayson back when I did the Young Justice posts, and she also should have some kick ass gear.

The big thing I remember her having were the electric batons. Lets see what those would look like:

Shocking Batons
Two +1 Clubs, Rare (requires attunement)
This pair of black batons look similar to nightsticks carried by city guards, but carry immense power. Each baton deals electric damage in addition to bludgeoning damage. After making an attack, but before you know whether it is a hit, you may expend a choose to stun the target on a hit until the start of your next turn. You may do this once per baton, and this ability recharges during a long rest.

I like this. It gives her the ability to do some control on top of just hitting people hard, while still enabling her to hit people hard. Giving advantage on the next attack is a huge deal for a rogue. 

Now that we have the awesome magic item out of the way, lets build her.

Natasha Romanoff

Variant Human Rogue 1
Background: Charlatan
Str 12 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 10 (+0)
Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)
HP 8, AC 14, HD 1d8
Saves: Dex +5, Int +3
Speed 30 ft.
Languages: Common, Orc, Thieves' Cant
Skills: Acrobatics +3, Deception +6, Insight +3, Investigation +3, Persuasion +6, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5
Feats: Martial Artist

Shocking Batons +6, 1d4+4 bludgeoning and electricity

Dagger +5, 1d4+3 piercing, 20 ft./60 ft.
Hand Crossbow +5, 1d6+3 piercing, 30/120 ft., light
Unarmed Strike +5, 1d4+3 bludgeoning

Feat: Martial Artist
Sneak Attack 1d6
Expertise: Deception and Persuasion

Gear: A fine set of clothes, a disguise kit, papers for Natalie Rushman, shocking batons, hand crossbow and 20 bolts, a burglar's pack, leather armor, two daggers, and thieves' tools

Leveling Natasha: As she levels up, give her the Assassin archetype and use the ability score improvements to up her dexterity and charisma. Another good idea would be to get her the crossbow expert feat. She should be able to make all the NPC's do as she wants and clock anyone who talks bad about her. In addition, her disguise abilities ought to make her a bad ass spy. I'm sure she'd be damn fun to play.

D&D Next Class Quiz

Here is a link to my D&D Next Class Quiz!

I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to best do this. It's still not completely where I want it, but I'll likely have to learn Javascript to get the results I really want. Until then, this will do.

I've been working on this quiz for a bout a month now, but honestly its been years in the making. I've made a few in Excel for pathfinder just based on personality, but this one also takes into account what your ability scores make you suited for.

Really, it is better for the BiFrost setting and acting like the tailor, who would, no doubt,  try to stop you from choosing a class you aren't well suited for.

Remember:
Barbarian = Juggernaut
Bard = Performer
Cleric = Incarnate
Druid = Naturalist
Fighter = Hero
Monk = Brawler
Paladin = Knight
Ranger = Hunter
Rogue = Prowler
Sorcerer = Dynamo
Warlock = Witch
Wizard = Mage